Meet Soo and Jon, owners of Top of the Woods – an eco-friendly camping and glamping site with a selection of luxury accommodation for couples, families and friends, set amongst 27 acres of meadow and woodland close to the Pembrokeshire National Park.
What first inspired you to create Top of the Woods as a retreat?
After nearly 20 years living and working in London, we reached a point where we knew we wanted something very different from life. We were craving space, nature, and a more meaningful way of living, as well as running our own business. Around the same time, we were navigating some very personal grief after coming to terms with not being able to have a family of our own. Creating something new together became a way of finding purpose, adventure, and renewal.
We had always escaped the city for outdoor adventures with friends, and it was during those breaks that the idea of creating a nature-led campsite and eco glamping retreat in Pembrokeshire really took shape. We imagined a place where people could reconnect, slow down, and make memories in the wild. When we found Penrallt Farm in West Wales, it felt like the land chose us. From that moment, Top of the Woods was born.
Have you always been in hospitality? If not, what else did / do you do?
No, hospitality wasn’t our original background. I spent over 20 years in London working on business transformation programmes within IT and communications, while Jon worked as a technical sales manager in the rail sector. It’s a very different world from what we do today.
Those earlier chapters have been really helpful though. They gave us useful skills around organisation, communication, design, and guest experience, even though running Top of the Woods has meant learning a huge amount from scratch. There was no guide or rulebook, just plenty of problem-solving, resilience, and figuring things out as we went along.
What’s the best thing about being the owner of Top of the Woods?
One of the most rewarding things is seeing what the place gives back to people, and watching a once run-down farm come back to life as a nature-led campsite. Guests often arrive carrying the weight of busy lives and seeing them slow down and spend proper time together outdoors is pure joy. There’s something special about this place, and many of our guests feel it too, which is why they return time and time again.
We’re also incredibly proud to have created a wild natural space that not only supports wildlife but has actively increased and restored habitat. Knowing the land is richer and more alive than when we arrived means a great deal to us.
There’s a deep sense of pride in what Jon and I have built from very humble beginnings. We started with no experience of running a campsite, just a shared vision for our next life adventure, a lot of stubbornness, and a lot of determination. Turning an overgrown, neglected Georgian farm into an award-winning eco nature campsite has been a journey built on hard work, resilience, and community. Along the way, we’ve been able to give something back locally too, creating a handful of quality, year-round jobs in an area where work can be hard to come by, and welcoming thousands of people to enjoy holidays across Pembrokeshire, Cardigan, and Carmarthenshire.
What’s your favourite feature of the retreat?
Honestly, everything. We’re hidden away at the end of a 1 km track, surrounded by a vast, established woodland with waterfalls, views across the Pembrokeshire National Park, and areas of ancient and semi-ancient temperate rainforest. There’s no light or sound pollution, just a real sense of space and calm.
The site offers a rare feeling of freedom and safety, which families really value. Children can explore, roam, build dens, and play freely in nature, while adults relax knowing they’re in a safe, traffic-free environment. That balance of space, safety, and adventure is something we’re incredibly proud of.
Over the years, we’ve planted more than 4,000 native trees, with one planted for every guest who stays. That woodland feels especially meaningful to us, as it represents our commitment to the future, not just the present.
On clear nights, the dark skies are incredible, sometimes revealing the Milky Way and, on rare occasions, even the Northern Lights. For adults, the Wild Spa adds another special layer to the stay, offering time for self-care, warmth, and deep relaxation, all immersed in nature.
What do you love about the local area?
Pembrokeshire completely captured our hearts. This part of West Wales offers an incredible mix of wild coastline, peaceful countryside, ancient landscapes, and creative communities.
You can be walking through woodland one moment and swimming in the sea the next. It still feels authentic, unspoilt, and deeply connected to nature.
What’s next for Top of the Woods?
We’re much more interested in evolving carefully than growing for growth’s sake. Our focus is on creating enriching, sustainable experiences that feel unique to this place, with more retreats centred around wellbeing and time properly spent in the wild.
Alongside this, we’ll continue our conservation and habitat restoration work, and work closely with local businesses and activity providers so what we do supports the land, wildlife, and the wider community.
If you couldn’t stay at your place, where would your ideal holiday be?
My ideal holiday is usually either staying with friends and exploring somewhere a bit off the beaten track. Or exploring Wales, often Pembrokeshire, for a glamping break (I know, total saddos!).
We love being in nature, having time to slow down and be together, resting, eating well, and mixing it up with a bit of adventure like wild swimming, walking, or canoeing. And of course, sleeping in a really comfortable bed makes all the difference (one of the critical things we ensure is key to our guest experience at Top of the Woods!) After a good night sleep, when you wake to birdsong, fresh air, amazing view with no rush to be anywhere this feels like real luxury.
Sum up Top of the Woods in three words
Wild. Restorative. Heartfelt.
If you were visiting, how would you spend a day at Top of the Woods?
I’d sleep until I woke naturally, then start the day slowly with coffee outside, listening to the birds and letting the pace of the day unfold. I might head out to explore the beaches or go for a trek in the Preseli Hills or the Pembrokeshire National Park, or just as easily stay put, curl up in a hammock, and read a book. Ideally, I’d manage to do a bit of everything.
I’d finish the day with sometime in the Wild Spa for a proper dose of self-care, followed by happily stuffing Jon’s amazing pizzas. As evening rolls in, I’d get the campfire going, maybe make some s’mores, and spend the night talking, watching the stars, and listening to the bats and wildlife outside, before lighting the wood burner and falling asleep feeling happy, rested, and very content.
Find out more about Top of the Woods via their Host Unusual listing below!
